


Breaking Rules, Breaking Bread

by Yotsubadancesintherain5



Series: Fairytale/Supernatural [25]
Category: Nicola Traveling Around the Demon's World, とつくにの少女 | Totsukuni no Shoujo | The Girl from the Other Side (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:28:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23549926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yotsubadancesintherain5/pseuds/Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: Simon is usually good at handling Nicola's seemingly endless energy. It seems to come to an uncontrollable amount when she meets another human girl.
Series: Fairytale/Supernatural [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/768273
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	Breaking Rules, Breaking Bread

This town, the road to it adorned with pink-leaved trees, seemed to appeal to Nicola the most. It certainly helped that there were many stores and houses that were adorned with colorful, shiny glass above the thresholds.

It was unusual for demons’ tastes but Simon figured there were outliers in every bunch. In any case it was a relief to see Nicola all bubbly, even if that meant she was more prone to running off on her own.

Simon often ignored the twinge of worry that would incessantly thrum in his brain. Nicola was cleverer than she usually acted. So he peddled his wares and couldn’t help but notice his customers with a little more clarity.

A couple that looked at each object with wonder. A pair of witches that were fledglings in magic; one dressed in a fluffy white dress with many bows along the hems. She handled each object with care.

The other in a plain black dress and she didn’t touch anything but looked at one wand with longing. The fluffy dressed witch bought it for her. They walked off hand-in-hand.

A family of five showed up not long after, all of them seemingly musically-inclined. Even though Simon showed off all of the magical musical instruments, carefully crafted, they didn’t buy anything.

Luckily for Simon there was a couple that showed up and they ended up buying a rare potion ingredient. The demon’s face was so soft-natured that Simon first mistook him for a human. The witch haggled heartily with Simon but was surprisingly gentle with her companion. She linked her arm through his when they departed.

After that the thrum in his brain grew louder when Nicola didn’t return. It only increased when a father and daughter demon pair showed up to shop for wares. Simon had to concentrate on their features to calm himself down.

The father had kind, black eyes that were like two pools of ink. The daughter’s dark red eyes were curious as they examined the wares. She ended up getting a worn-out storybook about a bear father and his mouse daughter. The thrum got even louder.

It wasn’t long after that that a loud voice seemed to pierce through Simon’s eardrums.

“Simon!” Nicola screamed giddily, “I met a – “

Nicola stopped in her tracks and clamped her hands over her mouth. She seemed like she would explode if she didn’t spill the information.

Simon went down to her face level, his left hand cupping his left, pointed ear.

“Simon, I met another human girl.” Nicola was speaking too loud for a whisper but low enough to not drive attention.

“It’s an illusion,” Simon said flatly. It was mostly to rile her up.

“She _is_ ,” Nicola hissed. Her puffed-out cheeks were slightly red with anger. “It’s her ears. I knew just by looking at her!”

She was bouncing from one foot to the other. Simon was slightly annoyed that it seemed her energy wasn’t yet diminished. It would be a fight to tell her to go to bed when it was time to sleep.

“Fine, fine, fine,” Simon relented. Nicola stopped her impatient dance only to dance around in victory. It seemed Simon only scratched the surface to her energy.

“Help me pack this up,” Simon said. Nicola stuck out her tongue but got to work.

Simon went over an escape plan. If it was really some guards trying to lure out humans then he could carry Nicola in one arm and keep the wares secure on his back. He kept a small knife in his jacket’s breast-pocket, sharp enough to cut through straps, to cut off the wares if it came to that.

He could cut the losses if it meant Nicola was safe.

“You’re standing like a statue!” Nicola said, childish accusation in her voice. She strained to carry a box of something or other.

“Then you’re a particularly annoying bird,” Simon said, no malice in the words. He took the box and put it in the pack.

-

Nicola said that the human she met was going to leave for the next town. They would meet at the entrance to the city.

Simon saw the human girl’s companion first, recognized the Outsider.

There had been whispers of Outsiders all throughout his life, creatures from another world, born from someone named Mother and ravenous for the purity of a human soul.

Just like the whispers this Outsider kept his hands away from the girl at his side, a declination of holding her hand. It lessened Simon’s worry about Nicola getting close.

“Shiva!” Nicola shrieked, and the two girls ran to each other, grasping each other’s hands and jumping around.

Nicola’s hair was straw-colored compared to Shiva’s pure white hair. The bob covered her ears. Simon wondered idly if magic resided in both of them.

There was no introduction because it was like an idea struck both of them at the same time.

“Teacher, they’re going to – “

“Simon! Can we go with – “

It was short and loud. The Outsider – Teacher, it was a good a name as any, Simon figured – spoke patiently.

“Yes, Shiva, they may travel with us if they so wish.”

Nicola was looking up at Simon with an unbearable amount of pleading. He shrugged his shoulders in agreement.

Nicola shrieked again and grabbed Shiva’s hand. All four of them began walking on the road.

Nicola and Shiva were busy in their conversation as they walked. The demon world’s food was almost as inedible as Teacher’s cooking. There were many weird and beautiful things in the worlds. Nicola showed off her paltry magic.

A question bubbled in Simon’s mind.

“Are all human children like this?” he asked.

“Every child is different,” Teacher replied simply. “I believe this is because neither has seen anyone their own age in a long time.”

Teacher looked at Simon and added, “I apologize for being presumptuous.”

“No, it’s true,” Simon said. It was just a fact of being on the road.

“It’s good,” Teacher said. “We lived in isolation for so long.”

Simon made a nod to continue. He saw Nicola run ahead and yelled, “Hey, stay where I can see you!”

Nicola fell back. A pair of childish laughter filled the air.

“It’s good for Shiva to be here,” Teacher said. “Shiva, her aunt, and I, we found ourselves here one day. It was confusing but we found a safe home. Perhaps the Mother took pity on us and sent us here.”

“Nicola can’t help but get her hands into everything here.” Simon was surprised at how fond his voice sounded.

“Shiva, as well,” Teacher said. “I should scold her on decorum but all this curiosity – she is hungered for knowledge and it was denied to her for so long. It is good to finally provide it for her.”

“What about you?” Simon asked.

“My mind finally feels clear, and Shiva’s aunt agrees,” Teacher said. “I never feel stiffness. Perhaps this body is more attuned to the demon world.”

“Oh, good,” Simon said. “You have to take care of her, right?”

“Indeed. I have been afraid for Shiva’s safety for so long,” Teacher said. “It is a relief that we do not have to run anymore. It is good that we met you and your daughter.”

Simon’s breath came out in a weird sputter. Nicola laughed uproariously at the sound and Simon could see Shiva conceal her giggles.

“She’s not my daughter,” Simon said. “I’m just taking her from one place to another.”

They were carefully chosen words, befit to someone that didn’t get attached to any place and used a silver tongue to sell wares.

Despite this, Teacher didn’t look entirely convinced. He didn’t press the matter. The conversation passed over to what wares Simon sold and he spoke comfortably.

Still something, more soothing than the incessant thrum in his head, sang that he didn’t mind what Teacher said.

Nicola was singing along with Shiva. Teacher looked on fondly. Simon quietly accepted Teacher’s words.

**Author's Note:**

> I love both of these series. "The Girl From the Other Side," is on a pretty big cliffhanger right now so partly writing this was a, "Here's a happy ending for them," sort of thing.


End file.
